Types of Accident, Accident Investigations and Case History
Types of Accident, Accident Investigations and Case History
Types of Accident, Accident Investigations and Case History
1
Accident
Prevention
2
An Accident is:
• 1 a. An unexpected and undesirable event, especially one resulting in damage
or harm: car accidents on icy roads due boiler rupture etc
• b. An unforeseen incident: A series of happy accidents led to his promotion.
• c. An instance of involuntary urination or defecation in one's clothing.
• 2. Lack of intention; chance: ran into an old friend by accident.
• 3. Logic A circumstance or attribute that is not essential to the nature of something.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/accident
3
Types of Accident based on
severity
• Minor accident(not reported to higher
management)
• Reportable Accidents(Injuries caused to the
worker to prevent him to working 48 hrs or
more,reported to higher management)
• Fatal Accident(Death of worker,reported to
higher managemnet) etc
4
Types of Accidents
• FALL TO • CONTACT WITH
– same level – chemicals
– lower level – electricity
• CAUGHT – heat/cold
– in – radiation
– on • BODILY
– between REACTION FROM
– voluntary motion
– involuntary motion
5
CAUSES OF ACCIDENT
• WORKERS (Poor knowledge about
work,lack of confidence,not following rules
and regulation,stree,using mobile,no
experience.bad habbit,fear etc)
• Management(provision of unsafe
workplace,lack of safe procedure,less
control on worker,untrained
worker,extraworkload)
6
CAUSES OF ACCIDENT
• Unsafe Working Condition(poor work place
layout,lack of safe procedure,less control on
workers etc)
• Natural(eartquake, Flood etc)
7
Effects of Accidents
• Worker(injury to body,loss of skills,loss of
job,financial loss etc)
• Family(loss of earning,hospitalization
realated time and money loss,stability of
family is disturbed etc)
• Management(time to solve the case,Issues
related to court,competators etc)
• Industry(production stoped,financial
loss,good will damaged etc) 8
Types of Accidents (continued)
• STRUCK • RUBBED OR
– Against ABRADED BY
• stationary or moving – friction
object
– pressure
• protruding object
• sharp or jagged edge – vibration
– By
• moving or flying
object
• falling object
9
Fatal Accidents - Workplace
U.S. WORKPLACE FATALITIES - 2006
1. Vehicle Accidents 2413
2. Contact With Objects and Equipment 983
3. Falls 809
4. Assaults & Violent Acts 754
10
Fatal Accidents - Workplace
Washington State FATALITIES - 2006
1. Vehicle Accidents 40
2. Contact With Objects and Equipment 13
3. Falls 19
4. Assaults & Violent Acts 4
11
Accident Causing Factors
• Basic Causes • Direct Causes
– Management – Slips, Trips, Falls
– Environmental – Caught In
– Equipment – Run Over
– Human Behavior – Chemical Exposure
• Indirect Causes
– Unsafe Acts
– Unsafe Conditions
12
Policy & Procedures
Basic Causes Environmental Conditions
Equipment/Plant Design
Human Behavior
ACCIDENT
Personal Injury
Property Damage
Potential/Actual 13
Basic Causes
• Management Systems & Procedures
• Human Behavior
14
Management
• Systems &
Procedures
– Lack of systems &
procedures
– Availability
– Lack of Supervision
15
Environment
• Physical
– Lighting
– Temperature
• Chemical • Biological
– vapors –Bacteria
– smoke –Reptiles
16
Design and Equipment
• Design
– Workplace layout
– Design of tools &
equipment
– Maintenance
17
Design and Equipment
• Equipment
– Suitability
– Stability
• Guarding
• Ergonomic
• Accessibility
18
Human Behavior
Common to
all accidents
• Deviations from
SOP
– Lacking Authority
– Short Cuts
– Remove guards
20
Human Behavior is a function of :
Consequences
(what happens if it is/isn’t done)
21
ABC Model
Antecedents
(trigger behavior)
Behavior
(human performance)
Consequences
(either reinforce or punish behavior)
22
Only 4 Types of
Consequences:
•Positive Reinforcement (R+)
("Do this & you'll be rewarded")
•Extinction (E)
("Ignore it and it'll go away")
23
Consequences Influence
Behaviors Based Upon
Individual Perceptions of:
Magnitude
{ positive
• Significance or
Impact negative
24
Human Behavior
• Behaviors that have consequences that are:
• Soon
• Certain
• Positive
25
Why is one sign often ignored, the
other one often followed?
26
Human Behavior
• Soon
• A consequence that follows soon after a
behavior has a stronger influence than
consequences that occur later
• Silence is considered to be consent
• Failure to correct unsafe behavior
influences employees to continue the
behavior
27
Human Behavior
• Certain
• A consequence that is certain to follow a
behavior has more influence than an
uncertain or unpredictable consequence
• Corrective Action must be:
– Prompt
– Consistent
– Persistent
28
Human Behavior
• Positive
• A positive consequence influences
behavior more powerfully than a
negative consequence
• Penalties and Punishment don’t work
• Speeding Ticket Analogy
29
Human Behavior
• Example: Smokers find it hard to stop smoking
because the consequences are:
A) Soon (immediate)
B) Certain (they happen every time)
C) Positive (a nicotine high)
The other consequences are:
A) Late (years later)
B) Uncertain (not all smokers get lung cancer)
C) Negative (lung cancer)
30
Deviations from SOP
• No Safe Procedure
• Employee Didn’t know Safe Procedure
• Employee knew, did not follow Safe
Procedure
• Procedure encouraged risk-taking
• Employee changed approved procedure
31
Human Behavior
• Thought Question:
32
Human Behavior
33
Human Behavior
• The soon, certain, positive reinforcement
from unsafe behavior outweighs the
uncertain, late, negative reinforcement
from inconsistent punishment
35
Attitudes
however
39
Human Behavior
TIME!
45
Safety Intervention Strategies
Approach # of Studies # of Subjects Reduction %
Behavior Based 7 2,444 59.6%
Ergonomics 3 n/a 51.6%
Engineering Change 4 n/a 29.0%
Problem Solving 1 76 20.0%
Gov’t. Action 2 2 18.3%
Mgt. Audits 4 n/a 17.0%
Stress Management 2 1,300 15.0%
Poster Campaign 26 100 14.0%
Personnel Selection 26 19,177 3.7%
Near-miss Reports 2 n/a 0%
46
OUTCOMES OF ACCIDENTS
NEGATIVE OUTCOMES
POSITIVE OUTCOMES
47
$ Direct Costs
• Medical
• Insurance
• Lost Time
• Fines
48
Compliance
• Failure to develop and implement a
program may be cited as a SERIOUS
violation (by itself or "Grouped" with
other violations)
49
Compliance
• Up to 35% of the penalty can be
deducted based upon an employer's
"good faith“ - Good faith is based
upon:
– Awareness of the Law
– Efforts to comply with the Law before the
inspection
– Correction of hazards during the inspection
– Cooperation & Attitude during the inspection
– Overall safety and health efforts including the
Accident Prevention Program
50
Indirect Costs
• Injured, Lost Time
Wages
• Non-Injured, Lost
Time Wages
• Overtime
• Supervisor Wages
• Lost Bonuses
• Employee Morale
• Need For
Counseling
• Turn-over
51
Indirect Costs
• Equipment Rental
• Cancelled Contracts
• Lost Orders
• Equipment/Material
Damage
• Investigation Team Time
• Decreased Production
• Light Duty
• New Hire Learning Time
• Administrative Time
• Community Goodwill
• Public/Customer Perception
• 3rd Party Lawsuits
52
OUTCOMES OF ACCIDENTS
• POSITIVE ASPECTS
– Accident investigation
– Prevent repeat of accident
– Improved safety programs
– Improved procedures
– Improved equipment design
53
Accident investigation
• Accident investigation focus on the
identification of root causes instead of
finding fault and blame.It carried out in 02
phases:
• Phase 1:Incident Logging(logging of basic
incident details either by victim or worker
present at the time of incidents ,the
information include location,activity
envolved etc)
54
Accident investigation
55
Information Collected in Incident Report(based on
following information
• Process(were Safety procedure inadequate etc)
• Technology(was the tech in safe operational
condition,was correct tech used for taskect)
• Physical Env.(Did any conventional factors
contribute to accident,was there free,safe access
to location)
• Human Resources(Was the person concerned
was doing normal duties?was person trained wrt
safty.How was behavior of worker? )
56
Guide lines for Investigation
• The investigation should commence
immediately for high risk incidents
• Investigation techniques should be clear to
the team.
• Following steps should be followed :
Visit the site for high risk incident
Collect and analyse evidence
Listing finding for analysis
Preparing report
57
Guide lines for Investigation
• Investigation techniques followed should
able to identify basic facts from evidence:
What happened?
What happened just before and after the incident?
What was operational and environmental condition
during incident?(use
photographs,skethes,interviews of personned
involved)?
58
Formation of investigation team
• Team should be cross functional
• Team consists of:
Area/Site expert
Investigation technique expert
Site / area Saftey professional
HR/IR personnel
For high risk score should be senior manger etc
59
Accident Prevention Program
• Must Be
– Written
– Tailored to particular hazards for a particular
plant or operation
• Minimum Elements
– Safety Orientation Program
– Safety and Health Committee
60
Accident Prevention Program
• Safety Orientation
– Description of Total Safety Program
– Safe Practices for Initial Job Assignment
– How and When to Report Injuries
– Location of First Aid Facilities in Workplace
– How to Report Unsafe Conditions & Practices
– Use and Care of PPE
– Emergency Actions
– Identification of hazardous materials
61
Accident Prevention Program
• Designated Safety and Health Committee
– Management Representatives
– Employee Elected Representatives
• Max. 1 year
• Must be equal # or more employee representatives than
employer representatives
– Elected Chairperson
– Self-determine frequency of meetings
• 1 hour or less unless majority votes
– Minutes
• Keep for 1 Year
• Available for review by OSHA Personnel
62
Accident Prevention Program
64
Safety Committees
65
Proactive
Safety Committees Safety
67
Four points to Remember:
•Communication: Must be a loop system
69
Safety Committee
Policy Statement
A written and publicized statement is an
effective means of providing guidance and
demonstrating commitment
70
Safety Committee Focus
• Long Term Goals
– Objectives to Achieve
– Time Frame
• Short Term Goals
– Assignments between Meetings
– Work toward achieving Long-Term Plan
71
Planning the Safety Meeting
• Select topics
• Set & post the agenda
• Schedule safety meeting
• Prepare meeting site
• Encourage participation
72
Conducting A Safety Meeting
Provide an attendance list or sign in sheet
Provide a meeting agenda
Call meeting to order and review meeting topics
Cover any old business
Primary meeting topic
Future agendas
Close meeting and document
73
Components of an Agenda
Opening statement including reason for
attendance, objective, and time
commitment
Items to be discussed
Generate alternative solutions
Decide among the alternatives
Develop a plan to solve the problem
Assign task to carry out plan
Establish follow-up procedures
Summarize and adjourn 74
Regular Agenda Item
• Review Policies & Plans such as:
– Hazard Communication Program
– Personal Protective Equipment
– Respiratory Protection
– Housekeeping
– Machine Safeguarding
– Safety Audits
– Record Keeping
– Emergency Response Plans
75
Emergency Plan
• Anticipate What
Could Go Wrong
and Plan for
those Situations
• Drill for
Emergency
Situations
76
Emergency Action Plan
• The following minimum elements shall be included :
– Alarm Systems
– Emergency escape procedures and route assignments;
– Procedures for employees who remain to operate critical
plant operations before evacuation
– Procedures to account for all employees
– Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to
perform them
– The preferred means of reporting fires and other
emergencies
– Names / job titles of who can be contacted for further
information or explanation of duties under the plan
77
Record Keeping & Updating
• Record each Recordable Injury & Illness on
OSHA 300 Log w/in 6 Days
– Recordable
• Occupational fatalities
• Lost workday
• Result in light-duty or termination or require medical
treatment (other than first aid) or involve loss of
consciousness or restriction of work or motion
• This information in posted every year from
February 1 to April 30 in the OSHA 300A
Summary
78
Record Keeping and Updating
• First Aid - one-time treatment that could be
expected to be given by a person trained in
basic first-aid using supplies from a first-aid kit
and any follow-up visit or visits for the purpose
of observation of the extent of treatment
• NOTE: The new OSHA Recordkeeping
Rule lists the specific First Aid Treatments
79
Immediately Report:
– Any accident that involves: 1. Injury 2. Illness 3.
Equipment or property damage
81
Hazard Analysis
• Orderly process used to determine if a
hazard exists in the workplace
– Uncover hazards overlooked in design
– Locate hazards developed in-process
– Determine essential steps of a job
– Identify hazards that result from the
performance of the actual job
82
Step 1: Identify Hazards
HAZARD –
condition with
the potential to
cause personal
injury, death and
property damage
83
Hazard Identification
• Review Records
• Talk to Personnel
• Accident Investigations
• Follow Process Flow
• Write a Job Safety Analysis
• Use Inspection Checklists
84
STEP 2: Assess Hazards
• Probability - How likely is the hazard?
– Likely
– Not likely
• Severity - What will happen if
encountered?
– Death
– Serious Injury
– Damage to property
85
Levels of Risk Awareness
• Unaware: Doesn’t realize at-risk
87
STEP 3: Make Risk Decisions
88
STEP 4: Implement Controls
• Substitution
• Engineering controls
• Administrative Controls
• Personal Protective Equipment
89
Hazard Controls
Source
Path
Receiver
90
Hazard Control
Administrative Engineering
Protective Equipment/Clothing
91
Engineering
Hazard Elimination Ventilation
Add-On Safety Design Design/Layout
“Active” vs. “Passive” Safety Devices
User Instructions
(Manual)
92
Administrative
• Safety Rules
• Disciplinary Policy - Accountability
• Preventative Maintenance
• Training
• Proficiency/Knowledge Demonstrations
93
Step 5: Supervise
• Ensure risk control
measures are
implemented
• Track progress
• Feedback
94
JOB SAFETY
ANALYSIS
95
Job Safety Analysis
97
Job Safety Analysis Priorities
• New Jobs
• Potential of Severe Injuries
• History of Disabling Injuries
• Frequency of Accidents
98
Observation of the Actual Work
• Select experienced worker(s) to
participate in the JSA (job saftey
Analysis)process
• Explain purpose of JSA
• Observe the employee perform the job
and write down basic steps
• Completely describe each step
• Note any deviations (Very Important!)
99
Identify Hazards &
Potential Accidents
• Search for Hazards
– Produced by Work
– Produced by Environment
• Repeat job observation as many times as
necessary to identify all hazards
100
JSA EXERCISE
101
INSPECTIONS
102
Inspections
• Fact-Finding vs. Fault Finding
– Sound knowledge of the plant
– Knowledge of relevant standards & codes
– Systematic inspection steps
– Method of evaluating data
103
Inspection Limitations
• “Blinder affect”
• Rote inspections
• All Check - No action
• Who is inspecting?
104
Outcomes
• Improve Safety
– New Way to Do Job
– Change Physical Conditions
– Change Work Procedures
– Reduce Frequency of Dangerous Job
105
New Way To Do The Job
• Determine the work goal of the job, and
then analyze the various ways of reaching
this goal to see which way is safest
• Consider work saving tools and
equipment
106
Change in Physical Conditions
108
Reduce Frequency of
Dangerous Job
• What can be done to reduce the
frequency of the job??
• Identify parts that cause frequent repairs
- change
• Reduce vibration save machine parts
109
Performing Safety Audits
110
Guide for Personal Audits
111
Audit
• Get into one of the work areas on a
regular basis
• Develop your own system
• Do not combine a safety audit with other
visits
• Audit must be designed to evaluate safety
• Take notes
112
React
• How you react is the strongest element in
improving the safety culture
• Your reaction tells what is acceptable and not
acceptable
• You must come away from each inspection with a
reaction:
1. Acceptable because...
2. Not acceptable because...
3. Deteriorated because...
4. Improved because…
113
Communicate
• In order for the contact to be productive, your
subordinate/co-worker must understand that:
You inspected his or her area
You are pleased (or displeased) with what you saw
because of…
You expect him or her to react to your comments and to
improve
You will audit the area again in a specified number of
days
114
Follow Up
115
Raise Standards
116
Key Points: Becoming a Good Observer
• Use a checklist
• Ask questions
• Take notes
• Respect lines of communication
• Draw conclusions
120
Unsafe Acts
121
Unsafe Conditions
• An unsafe condition is a situation, not
directly caused by the action or inaction
of one or more employees, in an area that
may lead to an incident or injury if
uncorrected
• Unsafe conditions are normally beyond
the direct control of employees in the
area where the condition is observed
122
Audit Practices
• Concentrate on people and their actions
because actions of people account for more
than 96 percent of all injuries
When to audit
Where to audit
How much to audit
Auditing contractors
123
124
Management Commitment
?? 125
Management Commitment
NO ! 126
PRIORITIES CHANGE
SAFETY
MUST BE A
VALUE!! 127
Employee Participation
• Crew-Leader Meetings
128
SHARED VISION
EXERCISE
129
AVAILABLE RESOURCES
• OSHA Website: www.osha.gov
130
ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
131
INTRODUCTION
• Thousands of accidents occur throughout the
United States every day
• Accident investigations determine how and why
these failures occur
• Conduct accident investigations with accident
prevention in mind - Investigations are NOT to
place blame
• Investigate all accidents regardless of the extent
of injury or damage
132
THE ACCIDENT
WHAT IS AN ACCIDENT?
133
THE ACCIDENT
An
unplanned and unwelcome event
that interrupts normal activity
134
Accidents are What Happens to
Somebody Else
BUT REMEMBER:
YOU
are somebody else
to somebody else
135
THE ACCIDENT
MINOR ACCIDENTS:
136
THE ACCIDENT
MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS
137
THE ACCIDENT
• Accidents that occur over an extended
time frame:
– Such as hearing loss or an illness resulting
from exposure to chemicals
138
THE ACCIDENT
NEAR-MISS
• Also know as a “Near Hit”
140
THE ACCIDENT
They all have outcomes from the accident
141
THE ACCIDENT
142
OUTCOMES OF ACCIDENTS
• NEGATIVE Results
– Injury & possible death
– Disease
– Damage to equipment & property
– Litigation costs, possible citations
– Lost productivity
– Morale
143
OUTCOMES OF ACCIDENTS
• POSITIVE Results
– Accident investigation
– Prevent repeat of accident
– Change to safety programs
– Change to procedures
– Change to equipment design
144
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Accidents are usually complex
• An accident may have 10 or more events
that can be causes
• A detailed analysis of an accident will
normally reveal three cause levels:
– direct
– indirect
– root
145
Direct Cause
• An accident results only when a person
or object receives an amount of energy
or hazardous material that cannot be
absorbed safely - This energy or
hazardous material is the DIRECT
CAUSE of the accident
The direct cause is usually the result of one or
more unsafe acts or unsafe conditions or both
146
Indirect and Root Causes
• Unsafe acts and conditions are the indirect
causes or symptoms of accidents
• Indirect causes are usually traceable to:
– poor management policies and decisions
– personal or environmental factors
• Root causes are the actual policies and
decisions by management and the actual
personal and environmental factors of the
workplace
147
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
You Must:
• Conduct a preliminary investigation for:
– serious injuries with immediate symptoms
148
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Do Not move equipment involved in a work or work
related accident or incident if :
– A death
– A probable death
– 3 or more employees are sent to the hospital (WISHA -2)
• Unless, Moving the equipment is necessary to:
– Remove any victims
– Prevent further incidents and injuries
149
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Within 8 hours of a work-related incident or
accident you must contact the nearest office of the
OSHA in person or by phone to report
– A death
– A probable death
– 3 or more employees are sent to the hospital (WISHA -2)
• (OSHA) 1-800-321-6742
• WISHA 1-800-4BE-SAFE (423-7233)
150
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
• Assign witnesses and other employees to assist
OSHA personnel who arrive to investigate the
incident
Include:
– The immediate supervisor
– Employees who were witnesses to the incident
– Other employees the investigator feels are necessary
to complete the investigation
151
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
•Make sure your preliminary investigation is
conducted by the following people:
– A person designated by the employer
– The immediate supervisor
– Witnesses
– An employee representative
– Other persons with experience and skills to evaluate
the facts
152
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
153
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION
155
Investigating Accidents
157
At which level do we investigate?
Death
Lost Time
Injury
Reportable Injury
Minor Injuries
Near Misses
Acts Conditions
Maintenance
Knowledge
Motivation
Design
Ability
Others
Action
of
158
Investigation Strategy
• Need For Investigation
• Gather Facts
• Analyze Data
• Establish Causes
• Write Report
160
The Aim of the Investigation
• The key result should be to
prevent a repeat of the same
accident
• Fact finding:
– What happened?
– What was the root cause?
– What should be done to prevent
repeat of the accident?
161
The Aim of the Investigation
IS NOT TO:
• Exonerate individuals or management
162
COMPANY ACCIDENT
FORMS
• Must be filled out completely by
the employee and employee’s
immediate supervisor (this includes
foremen)
• Must be turned in to Safety within
24 hours of incident
163
BENEFITS OF ACCIDENT
INVESTIGATION
165
Who Should Investigate?
Investigation TEAM
• Employer Designee (Management)
• Immediate Supervisor of affected area/personnel
• Experts (if needed)
• Employee Representative (one of the following:)
– Employee selected representative
– Employee representative of safety committee
– Union representative or shop steward
166
**Immediate Actions
168
Provide Care to the Injured
• Ensure that medical care is provided to
the injured people before proceeding
with the investigation
169
Secure the Scene for Safety
• Eliminate the hazards:
– Control chemicals
– De-energize
– De-pressurize
– Light it up
– Shore it up
– Ventilate
170
Fact Finding
• Gather evidence from
many sources during an
investigation
• Get information from
witnesses and reports as
well as by observation
• Don’t try to analyze data
as evidence is gathered
171
Gather Evidence
172
Gather Evidence
• Unbiased Recording
• Keep Log of Photos
• Overall to Close-up
• Color if possible
• Supplement with Video
175
Gather Data
• Data includes:
– Persons involved
– Date, time, location
– Activities at time of accident
– Equipment involved
– List of witnesses
176
Review Records
• Check training records
– Was appropriate training provided?
– When was training provided?
• Check equipment maintenance records
– Is regular PM or service provided?
– Is there a recurring type of failure?
• Check accident records
– Have there been similar incidents or injuries
involving other employees?
177
Documents
• Collect All Related Documents
– Inspection Logs
– Policy & Procedures Manual
– JSA (Job Safety Analysis)
– Equipment Operations Manuals
– Insurance Records
– Employee Records
– Police Reports
178
Samples
• Collect Perishables
First
• Fluids
• Open Containers
• Filings
• Chemicals
• Air
179
Interviews
• Experienced personnel should conduct
interviews
• If possible the team assigned to this task
should include an individual with a legal
background
• After interviewing all witnesses, the team
should analyze each witness' statement
180
Interviews
• Analyze this information along with data
from the accident site
• Not all people react in the same manner
to a particular stimulus
• A witness who has had a traumatic
experience may not be able to recall the
details of the accident
• A witness who has a vested interest in the
results of the investigation may offer
biased testimony 181
Interviews
• Excellent Source of first hand knowledge
182
Ask “What Happened”
• Get a brief overview of
the situation from
witnesses and victims
• Not a detailed report
yet, just enough to
understand the basics
of what happened
183
Interview Victims & Witnesses
• Interview as soon as possible
after the incident
– Do not interrupt medical care
to interview
• Interview each person
separately
• Do not allow witnesses to
confer prior to interview
184
The Interview
• Put the person at ease
– People may be reluctant to
discuss the incident, particularly
if they think someone will get in
trouble
186
The Interview
• Use closed-ended questions later to gain
more detail
– After the person has provided their
explanation, these type of questions can be
used to clarify
– “Where were you standing?”
– “What time did it happen?”
187
The Interview
• Don’t ask leading questions
– Bad: “Why was the forklift operator driving
recklessly?”
– Good: “How was the forklift operator driving?”
188
The Interview
• Summarize what you have been told
– Correct misunderstandings of the events
between you and the witness
189
The Interview
• Get a written, signed statement from the
witness
– It is best if the witness writes their own
statement; interview notes signed by the
witness may be used if the witness refuses to
write a statement
190
Ask All Witnesses
• Name, address, phone number
• What did you see?
• What did you hear?
• Where were you standing/sitting?
• What do you think caused the accident?
• Was there anything different today?
191
Ask Supervisors
• What is normal procedure for activities
involved in the accident?
• What type of training persons involved in
accident have had?
• What, if anything was different today?
• What they think caused the accident?
• What could have prevented the accident?
192
Analysis of Accident Causes
• Immediate Causes
• What was done?
• What was not done?
• What hazardous condition existed?
• Root Causes
• Why did they do this?
• Why didn’t they do that?
• Why did the unsafe condition exist?
• Why wasn’t it corrected? 193
Analyze Data
• Gather all photos, drawings, interview
material and other information collected
at the scene
• Determine a clear picture of what
happened
• Formally document sequence of events
194
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
INVESTIGATION STRATEGY
• INVESTIGATION TEAM
197
Breakdown of Unsafe Conditions
• Inadequately guarded or
unguarded equipment
• Defective tools, equipment or
materials
• Fire and explosion hazard
• Unexpected movement hazard
• Projection hazards
198
Breakdown of Unsafe Conditions
• Housekeeping
• Hazardous environmental conditions
• Improper ventilation
• Improper illumination
• Unsafe dress or apparel
199
Breakdown of Unsafe Acts
• Operating without authority
• Operating or working at unsafe speeds
• Making safety devices inoperative
• Using unsafe equipment
• Neglecting to wear PPE
• Unsafe loading, placing, mixing, combining
• Taking unsafe position or posture
200
Basic Causes
• Management Systems & Procedures
• Environment
• Human Behavior
201
Management
• Was a hazard assessment conducted?
• Were the hazards recognized?
• Was control of the hazards addressed?
• Were employees trained?
• Did supervision detect/correct deviations?
• Was Supervisor trained in job/accident
prevention?
• What were the production rates?
202
FIND ROOT CAUSES
205
What controls worked?
• List any controls that prevented a
more serious accident or
minimized collateral damage or
injuries
206
Determine
• What was not normal before the
accident
• Where the abnormality occurred
• When it was first noted
• How it occurred
207
Report Causes
• Analysis of the Accident – HOW &
WHY
a. Direct causes (energy sources;
hazardous materials)
b. Indirect causes (unsafe acts and
conditions)
c. Basic causes (management policies;
personal or environmental factors)
208
Unable to Identify Root Causes
• Timeliness
• Poor development of information
• Reluctance to accept responsibility
• Narrow interpretations of
environmental causes
• Erroneous emphasis on a single cause
• Allowing solutions to determine causes
• Wrong person(s) investigating 209
PREPARE A REPORT
• Accident Reports should contain
the following:
– Description of incident and injuries
– Sequence of events
– Pertinent facts discovered during
investigation
– Conclusions of the investigator(s)
– Recommendations for correcting
problems
210
PREPARE A REPORT, (CONT.)
• Be objective!
– State facts
– Assign cause(s), not blame
– If referring to an individual’s actions, don’t
use names in the recommendation
• Good: All employees should…….
• Bad: George should……..
211
Recommendations
• Action to remedy
– Basic causes
– Indirect causes
– Direct causes
213
Accepting Inadequate Reports
• There is no surer way to destroy a
program's effectiveness than to accept
substandard work
• This immediately sends a signal to
subordinates that accident investigation
is not a high priority and does not receive
significant attention from management
214
Common Problems
• Accidents not reported
• Unable to identify basic causes
• Accepting inadequate reports
• Neglecting to implement corrective
actions
215
Accidents Not Reported
• Nothing is learned from unreported
accidents
• Accident causes are left uncorrected
• Infections and injury aggravations result
• Neglecting to report tends to spread and
become a common practice
216
Why Workers Fail to Report
• Fear of discipline
• Concern for reputation
• Fear of medical treatment
• Desire to keep personal record clean
• Avoidance of red tape
• Concern about attitudes of others
• Poor understanding of importance
217
Combat Reporting Problems
• Indoctrinate new employees
• Encourage workers to report minor accidents
• Focus on accident prevention and loss control
• Be positive
• Discuss past accidents
• Take corrective action promptly
218
Neglecting to Implement
Corrective Action
• The whole purpose of the investigation
process is negated if management fails to
remedy the causes
• Here again, management sends a signal
to subordinates that it's not important,
and subordinates develop the attitude
that it's an exercise in futility and "why
bother?
219
Improving the Quality of
Accident Investigation
• Insist on reporting of all injuries
• Adopt a well-designed accident report form
• Train all levels of management
• Insist on the investigation of all accidents
• Participate actively in serious accident
investigations
220
Improving the Quality of
Accident Investigation
• Review and comment
• Refuse to accept inadequate reports
• Establish controls to follow up on corrective
actions
• Be responsive to recommendations
• Hold responsible persons accountable
• Emphasize that accident investigations are
FACT-finding, not FAULT-finding
• Encourage investigators to challenge the system
221
Summary
• Most accident investigations follow
formal procedures
• An investigation is not concluded until
completion of a final report
• A successful accident investigation
determines what happened and how and
why the accident occurred
• Investigations are an effort to prevent a
similar or perhaps more disastrous
sequence of events 222
Other Accident Investigation Tools
223
Problem Solving
Fault Tree
No Preshift Inspection
225
Problem Solving
Fault Tree
PIT Hits W all
Failure To Stop
Break Line Leak Supv. sick Training Not Received Time ltd.
EFFECT
227
FIVE WHYs DIAGRAM
Undesired Event
Why?
Direct Cause
Why?
Contributing Cause
Why?
Contributing Cause
Why?
Contributing Cause
Why?
Root Cause 228
229